The Melba Spiegeltent surprises you from the moment you lay your eyes upon it. Set in the middle of Collingwood amidst average buildings, the colourful circus tent emerges out of the blue with wooden frames and stained glass that transport you back to the XIX Century. Furthermore, when Polyphonic Voices take the stage to perform the ensemble for Cabaret! – you know you’re in for a night of wonder.

A Melbourne-based chamber choir formed in 2013 under Michael Fulcher’s direction, Polyphonic Voices started the night with well-known hits such as ‘Ob-la-di ob-la-da’, ‘Danny Boy’ and ‘Blackbird’. The show had two short intermissions – great for grabbing a cup of wine to heat up the chilly air that crawled beneath the wooden walls of the venue. As the evening progressed, the choir took to performing more heart-felt tunes such as ‘Birdland’ and even dedicated a whole block to Broadway classics that included John Kander’s ‘All that Jazz’ and Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Send in the Clowns’. Finally, the choir wrapped up with the beloved ‘New York, New York’ – a song that set people cheering, clapping and stomping their feet in utter joy.

Polyphonic Voices is the perfect show for a family night out. I was actually quite surprised to see that about 90% of the audience where probably 65 and older, but fascinated at the fact that all our eyes were shining with vivid intensity after such wonderful and touching performance. The choir’s voices not only are charming, they have a magic touch that makes you feel a little bit more alive when you walk out the door.

– Lourdes
Lourdes Zamanillo is a Mexican journalist that recently moved to Australia to study a Master’s in Sustainable Tourism. She loves words, travelling, and (above all) feeling surprised.

Cabaret! was a one-night-only show in The Melba Spiegltent.